The European Commission will take Ireland to court on turf-cutting activities and site restoration, despite a complete state withdrawal from peat harvesting, because they say Irish turf sites “continue to be degraded through drainage and turf cutting activities”.
The Commission also argues that “insufficient action” is being taken to restore sites where cutting has ceased – but an Independent TD has described the case as “nonsense” and urged the Irish government to “stand up for turf cutters.”
The EU says that it will bring Ireland before the Court of Justice of the European Union for “failure to apply the Habitats Directive to protect sites designated for raised bog and blanket bog habitats from turf cutting”.
The Habitats Directive requires Member States to designate their most precious natural habitats and to protect them from harmful activities. These sites in Ireland continue to be degraded through drainage and turf cutting activities, and insufficient action is being taken to restore the sites, it says.
The Irish government shut down peat harvesting of ahead of schedule decided by EU directives on turf cutting. Turf-powered energy plants have ceased using peat as fuel.